


My Dinner with David

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-18
Updated: 2011-10-18
Packaged: 2017-10-24 18:24:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/266509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Too bad he couldn’t run back and tell Garcia that it was altogether possible that Strauss being a witch had nothing to do with the fact that she wasn’t getting laid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Dinner with David

“Come in.”

Erin looked up from her paperwork at the closed door when she heard the knock. It was after eight o’clock and all she really wanted to do was go home. But that didn’t happen during budget time. She was often there until eleven, and then drove home to Chevy Chase. All she would have the energy to do was undress and fall into bed.

Then it was up at 6am to do it all again. The late nights were starting to catch up with her but Erin wasn’t ready to call it burnout yet. She’d survived much less ideal circumstances for longer periods of time. Her marriage and the Academy for instance. She would survive the budget crisis of 2008.

“Hi.” Dave walked in carrying a large paper bag.

“Hi. What are you doing here?”

“I work here.”

“Well I know that, David. I just meant…”

“I had some great plans tonight. Do you want to hear about them?”

“I'm very busy with…”

“See, I'm dating this incredibly gorgeous woman who can't get enough of me. That’s neither here nor there. The plan tonight was to go and sweep her off her feet. I was going to take her out for a romantic dinner where I would woo her with my mastery of French or Italian, I wasn’t sure which. We would eat, converse, touch, and maybe even dance. Afterward, when she was satisfied beyond her abnormally high expectations where food is concerned, we were going back to my place.”

“David…”

“I was going to lock the dog out of the bedroom. Believe me when I tell you a night alone with this woman is worth a few days of my dog giving me his ass to kiss. See, I was going to lock him out of the bedroom and then I would…”

“Agent Rossi, stop.” Erin held up her hand. “I'm sure this office is bugged and no one in a cold, windowless office somewhere in a basement cares about what you plan to do with your girlfriend.”

“I can probably teach them a few things. No doubt a rookie got the night shift.” Dave replied.

“Is there something I can help you with, Agent Rossi?”

“You can help me eat all of this food.”

“What did you bring me?” a smile crept across Erin’s usually serious features. She rarely smiled at Quantico; didn’t find much reason to. It wasn’t that she hated her job; nothing could be further from the truth. She loved the challenges and battles…Erin even relished the arguments sometimes. But there weren't many shits and giggles. That was fine with her of course, even if some chose to make it seem like a character flaw.

“I brought you Cipriano’s.” Dave said, sitting the bag on the table in front of her couch.

“Are you serious?” Erin stood up from the desk. “They don’t deliver or do takeout.”

“No.” he shook his head.

“Then how…?”

“I know a guy. I know a lot of guys. Come and eat; this shouldn’t get cold.”

She walked over to the couch, sitting down at the same time as Dave. She smiled at him as he laid out their platters in front of them. He pulled a bottle of wine from the bag.

“We shouldn’t drink.” She said.

“It’s just one glass.” Dave replied, pulling two wine glasses out as well. They were wrapped in plastic and he unwrapped them. “You’ve had a long day; I've had a long day. I think we both need to take a deep breath and enjoy our dinner.”

Erin couldn’t find a reason to argue. Actually a drink sounded right up her alley at the moment. If she were at home, his or hers, she would have a big wineglass. She’d probably start a fire as the last of winter blew through the DC corridor. She’d have wine, warmth, and a little romance. That wasn’t going to happen in her Quantico office but this was nice anyway. Lifting the top off her platter, Erin inhaled the scent of five cheese manicotti.

“Oh God, this smells so good. I didn’t realize just how hungry I was.”

“I figured as much. You tend to get lost in all the red tape. I have to send out a search team to find you.”

“Just hold a plate of this out the window.” Erin replied. “I’ll always find my way home.”

“Now you tell me.” Dave laughed, handing her a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. “I want to propose a toast.”

“OK.” She held her glass wearing a big smile. “What are we drinking to?”

“We’re drinking to a nice dinner in, just the two of us. And the prying eyes of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

“Hear, hear.” Erin’s glass touched his and she sipped the wine. It was delicious and she was sure dinner would be even better.

She hated not giving him much conversation but she was hungry. It took all the decorum she had, and there was plenty, not to chow down like a frat boy. Erin wanted to savor the manicotti. It had been hours since she last ate and she hated to even call that dry ass turkey and provolone on wheat from the cafeteria a sandwich. But Erin had to eat something before she went into afternoon budget meetings.

“I owe you one.” She said, forgetting about not talking with her mouth full.

“Funny you should mention that because I was just thinking about what I want.”

“Care to share?” she sipped more wine.

“Well, you said earlier that you feared a bugged office so…”

“You can whisper.” Erin looked him in the eye.

 _Damn_ , Dave thought, _sometimes she knows just what to say to make me want to kiss her breathless_. He cleared his throat and moved a little closer on the couch. When he leaned over to her ear, first he licked the lobe.

“David!” she exclaimed, moving away some.

“What did I do?” he asked in wide-eyed innocence.

“Be good.”

“Oh, I'm always good. I come with recommendations and everything.” Dave grinned. “C'mere, I'm gonna whisper it.”

Erin laughed, knowing she was pushing the envelope but not caring. She was high on good food, good wine, and a very sweet gesture. So she slid over again, letting Dave cup her ear and start to whisper the dirtiest, sexiest things she could imagine.

“Excuse me, ma'am…”

“Oh dear God.” Erin jumped and the wine spilled all over her blouse. “Dammit!”

“I'm sorry.” Aaron Hotchner looked at the Section Chief and then at her dinner companion. “I had no idea you were…eating.”

“Did you knock, Agent Hotchner?” Erin asked.

“Yes ma'am.” He nodded.

“Oh my God, my blouse is ruined.”

“I'm sure warm water and a little soap will bring the wine right out.” Dave said, standing also.

“I could try.” She said.

“A long time ago you used to keep an extra dress shirt here for accidents.” He said. “We all spent so many nights eating here.”

“Your memory is too long.”

Erin’s features softened when she said it. She did still keep an extra shirt here, behind her bathroom door. She excused herself and went to clean up. Dave sat back on the couch. For a moment Hotch just stood there, as if frozen in some kind of time warp.

“At ease, soldier.” Dave said, grinning.

“What the hell did I walk in on?” Hotch asked through clenched teeth.

He was still holding tight to the budget folders he was bringing his boss along with his recommendations. Not that they meant anything; this would be the second year in a row of budget cuts. It was amazing what the FBI could spend on toilet paper and bullets but refused to spend on technology and travel. As much as she wasn’t his favorite person, he knew that Erin Strauss always went to battle for every little thing. Too bad it was often a losing one.

“Dinner.” Dave replied, sipping his wine.

In a few minutes, Erin returned. Now she was wearing a winter white v-neck ribbed sweater with her purple skirt and matching pumps. She looked even more peeved to see Hotch but there was also something else on her face. If the seasoned FBI Agent didn’t know any better, he would think it was embarrassment. She took a deep breath before she spoke; maybe she didn’t want to take it out on him.

That would be a change. It wouldn’t be the first change Hotch noticed either. Perhaps dinners were a good thing. But what he walked in on was more than a meal. He didn’t want to think about it as he already had a headache from another long day at Quantico.

Somehow though he was sure it would be seared into his memory for at least the rest of the night. Maybe the rest of the week if he was as unlucky as he could sometimes be. Too bad he couldn’t run back and tell Garcia that it was altogether possible that Strauss being a witch had nothing to do with the fact that she wasn’t getting laid. He had to suppress an uncharacteristic giggle just thinking about the tech analyst’s face.

“Ma'am, I came to bring you the BAU budgets we were going over this afternoon.” Hotch handed her the folders. “In the margins I highlighted some places we might be able to save, pinch, give up altogether, and what must be preserved without change.”

“And your final analysis, Agent Hotchner?” Erin dropped them in her inbox without looking. They could wait until after dinner, if her manicotti wasn’t cold already.

“Agent Rossi knows people, ma'am, perhaps we can have a telethon.”

“That might not be such a bad idea.” She replied.

“Anyway, I'm very sorry for interrupting your dinner. I’ll leave you to it now.”

“Thank you, Agent Hotchner.”

“Goodnight, ma'am; goodnight, Agent Rossi.”

“Goodnight, Hotch.” Dave held up a hand to wave. He looked at Erin as she sat down on the couch again. “You're mad at me.”

“The only thing I'm mad about is wasting my wine.” Erin replied.

“Have no fear,” he took the glass and filled it again. “There is plenty more where that came from.”

“What you were saying earlier…is there plenty more where that came from?”

“Oh yes. We should finish our dinner, you can finish your wine, and we’ll just get out of here. The budget from hell will be here in the morning. I think you could use a distraction.”

“And you know of one, Agent Rossi?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. I know of several and I think any or all will be just what you're looking for tonight.”

***


End file.
